


Maria's Legacy

by AnonEhouse



Category: Iron Man (Comic), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-20
Updated: 2012-03-20
Packaged: 2017-11-02 06:31:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/365970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonEhouse/pseuds/AnonEhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this AU, Maria Stark dies when Tony is very small, and Howard realizes Tony is all he has left.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maria's Legacy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blakefancier](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blakefancier/gifts).



> Blakefancier met a dare of mine, so this is my response to her request: _I want some nice, fun Howard-Tony interaction. Maybe them working on a car or something where they're bonding. And it could totally be outside of the Tiny Tony series. :D_

(If you are reading this on any PAY site this is a STOLEN WORK, the author has NOT Given Permission for it to be here. If you're paying to read it, you're being cheated too because you can read it on Archiveofourown for FREE.)

Tony looked around at the abandoned airstrip. Asphalt was cracked and buckled everywhere, with weeds and even scraggly Australian pine seedlings sprouting from the grayish soil beneath. The ground was scattered with bits of half-burnt red and blue paper and melted plastic and thin wooden dowels. The sun beat relentlessly down, and a light wind sent bits of paper and other rubbish swirling. There was a buzz of model planes and the occasional _whoosh_ of rockets taking off. He grinned at his father. "It's perfect."

Howard grinned down at Tony, tilting his sunglasses so their eyes met. "I wanted you to see it before it's gone. This is where Amelia Earhart left the US on her last flight."

"It should have a plaque or something, shouldn't it?" There were other people, mostly fathers and sons, it looked like, scattered around the large field at wide intervals. There were bicycles and cars parked at random. There was the smell of gunpowder and paraffin and other things that burn and explode. 

"It should have, but it won't. They don't even have the city name right in the history books." Howard opened the back of the station wagon and started taking out cardboard boxes. "Here, you take the Special."

Tony cradled the model rocket in his arms. The name, 'Maria', was written on the side. Tony and Howard had built it together, and put a payload of lavender blossoms in the nose cone. Tony's mom had loved lavender. "This isn't Miami?"

"Nope. This is Hialeah. This was called the Miami Municipal Airport at the time, so that probably led to the mistake. Someone's going to buy this parcel of land and do something with it, but they won't remember Amelia."

Tony looked around at the people flying model planes. "But we will."

"Yeah, we will. Pioneers leave a legacy to people, not to plaques or places. Your mom was a strong woman. That's why we celebrate strong women on her birthday."

Tony nodded as he set the rocket down and carefully arranged the legs to be level. "Mom left a legacy, too, didn't she, Dad?"

Howard looked down at Tony and smiled. "Yeah, yeah, she did, champ. Now, let's send her these birthday flowers."

**Author's Note:**

> There is actually a plaque mentioning Amelia Earhart, but it is located in Amelia Earhart Park, which begins about a block away from the outer boundaries of the old airfield. For some years Miami Municipal Airport had been known as Amelia Earhart Field and was used as an unofficial recreation site for motorcyclists, bicyclists and model plane and rocket enthusiasts. It currently (2012 as of this writing) houses a large UPS sorting facility, the Hialeah Police Department, and some municipal buildings. The search for Amelia and her copilot continues to this day.


End file.
